Thumbs up, thumbs down: Brevard's winners and losers in the news

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Thumbs up: To former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, whose alternative to race-based university admissions was further validated Monday by the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 7-1 ruling, the court said judges may not uphold affirmative action in admissions unless universities prove they have "no workable race-neutral alternatives." In Florida, Bush survived sit-ins and blistering criticism after imposing the "Talented 20" plan in 1999. It guarantees admission to state universities to the top 20 percent of every high school's graduating class and puts those students first in line for need-based financial aid. Over 10 years, Hispanic enrollment rose from 13.8 percent of students to 18 percent. Black enrollment dipped only slightly, from 14 percent to 13.6 percent.

Thumbs down: Preemptively, to producers of the proposed TV series "Cocoa Beach" if they shoot their Space Age series in Texas or North Carolina as rumored. That would be fake. And the real Cocoa Beach - which, granted, looks nothing like it did in the 1960s - could lose out on business. The Space Coast film commission has hyped the potential bummer as part of a bigger industry campaign for millions of dollars in unbudgeted state incentives for production companies. From 2010-2012, the Legislature committed $890 million in tax breaks to such productions, but none this year.

Thumbs up: To French aerospace supplier Vision Systems for choosing to open its first U.S. subsidiary near Melbourne International Airport. The decision was announced at the Paris Air Show last week by Gov. Rick Scott and Lynda Weatherman, president of the Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast. The French company produces glass products and plans to hire 40 locally. The Paris show is an expensive annual junket, so it's good to see our recruiters make the most of it.

Thumbs down: To Florida's continued low rankings in the annual Kids Count report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The report tracks state data in several categories, including children's economic well-being, education and health. Florida ranked a dismal 45th in economic well-being, compared to 44th last year. It ranked 38th overall in child well-being and 35th in education, both the same as last year, although its 37th ranking in health was a slight improvement. The report shows one of every four children in Florida lives in poverty.

Thumbs up: To Melbourne Beach commissioners, who voted last week to deny Town Commissioner Jay Gurecki's loopy request to investigate Town Manager Bill Hoskovec and Police Chief Dan Duncan for alleged corruption. Gurecki's request stems from two police reports last summer related to a resident's ice-cream cart sales at a city park. Although the reports resulted in no citations or charges, Gurecki maintained town officials selectively enforce vague code and zoning rules and violated the ice-cream seller's rights. It's time for Gurecki to put aside this silliness and focus on running the town.

Thumbs down: To the one in 10 American adults who don't wash their hands after using the bathroom and the one in three who don't use soap, according to a new Michigan State University study. Just 5 percent of 3,700 bathroom goers washed their hands thoroughly enough to kill germs, researchers found. "It's horrifying," associate professor Carl Borchgrevink said. C'mon, people: Lather up and wash for 15 to 20 seconds.

Thumbs up: To Sarasota aerialist Nik Wallenda, who successfully completed a high-wire walk on a two-inch thick steel cable across the Little Colorado River Gorge near the Grand Canyon on Sunday. The 34-year-old walked a quarter mile 1,500 feet above the river without a harness in an event broadcast live on the Discovery Channel. Wallenda said the stunt was even more challenging than he anticipated. "It was way more windy, and it took every bit of me to stay focused the entire time."

Thumbs down: To defense attorney Don West for starting his opening arguments in George Zimmerman's trial in the killing of Trayvon Martin with a knock-knock joke that probably insulted the jury. After telling members not to hold his humor against his client, West quipped: "Knock- knock. Who's there? George Zimmerman. George Zimmerman who? All right. Good. You're on the jury." West's joke fell flat with jurors who probably didn't consider cluelessness to be a prerequisite for serving. It was painful to hear it told in the presence of the dead boy's parents.